Striking Deals & Matches
by ChappedLipsFingertips
Summary: Ted confronts Don immediately after their impromptu partners meeting regarding the Sunkist account. Takes place during "The Quality of Mercy".


Don only had the chance to open his carton of cigarettes after entering his office before the door swung open. Don turned to see Ted, red-faced, storm in, slamming the door behind him. Don retrieved his lighter and pulled out a cigarette. As he lit it, Ted spoke.

"What was that? I sit on the phone for hours with guys I'd never talk to otherwise, just for you, but you can't hold your end of the bargain up?"

Don refrained from taking the drag he was only a second away from. Instead, he rested back against his desk.

"You really think I did nothing? I talked to Harry and I told him explicitly that we were going with Ocean Spray. I told him to drop Sunkist."

Ted breathed heavily and Don had to hold back smirking.

"I don't understand how you can be so charming and persuasive with your clients, but you can't get your TV guy to listen to you. I doubt you really put much effort into that discussion."

"Oh come on, Ted." Don narrowed his eyes. "We all know Harry Crane has the choice to do what he wants."

"And apparently, that's what everyone chooses around here."

"You know what? The emotional bullshit is getting old. I'm sorry if it upsets you that everyone around here is working more towards pleasing the client and our payroll than each other's ego, but that's how it works here." Don thought of Jaguar and gritted his teeth.

Ted folded his arms. "How things work here? Why do you keep acting as if nothing has to change with the merger? Despite the fact that you have the same office, things are different. And you need to start working with the rest of us, instead of thinking you don't have to share."

Don puffed out the smoke from the drag he'd taken while Ted spoke. He reached back and smashed the front of his cigarette in the ash tray on his desk. Don then stood and took two paces toward Ted, so there was only a foot or so between them.

"Working with everyone else? Does that mean only you and Peggy? Because that's the only person you're working with."

Ted blushed fiercely, so Don took the opportunity to keep talking.

"I was looking at the work for Ocean Spray, and it's all Peggy." Ted opened his mouth to retort, but Don cut him off. "I can tell Peggy's work from anyone else's. If you recall, I was the one that spent years building her up to where she is now. So then when I got that call from Harry, something sat a little wrong with me. Why would I reject an eight million dollar account for someone trying to get the girl they work with?"

"That's not what it was at all!"

"Look, Ted. You can do what you want in your personal life. But I'll be damned if I'm going to be blamed for making the best decision for the company. And last time I checked, you worked here, so I made that decision for you, too."

"But we had a deal, Don," Ted spat out

"And it was to work together. Not for Peggy's sake, but for the company. So frankly, keeping the Sunkist account was part of our deal."

Ted exhaled loudly. "I can't believe you," he finally mustered after a few moments of shaking his head.

"You'll be thanking me later when that paycheck comes in and no one says anything to your wife at the Christmas party about Peggy, because I'm sure you'll now be a little more careful about how obvious you two are."

Ted stared at him wide-eyed, and then turned on his heel, exiting Don's office. The door slammed behind him.

Don turned and went to his drink cart, uncorking the whiskey before pouring it into his glass. He sipped it as he stared out of his window, at the small cars that stood in a traffic gridlock below.

He set the drink down when it was empty and went over to his desk, where the folio of Ocean Spray work sat still. He flipped it open and stared at the taglines, all of which felt like something he could have written. He started to smile, tracing the printed letters, thinking of the days where he taught Peggy to write copy as good as what was in front of him. The morning where he'd put his hand on hers after she'd finally given him the approval he needed from her with his own ad - after all, she'd finally flourished and knowing she liked his work had meant everything.

And then suddenly his phone rang, jolting him out of his daze. Don stared back down at the folio and then violently shoved it off of his desk and into the trashcan with a large sweep of his left arm. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes as his phone continued to ring.

Later that day, Dawn left him a note telling him that Sunkist had called.


End file.
